Tag Archives: style

Feb8

Valentine’s Day Outfit Builder

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Valentine’s Day Outfit Builder

Hello!! I love getting dressed up for any holiday, but Valentine’s Day just hits different. Why? Because it’s different! While I do have a lot of very feminine clothes, I wouldn’t call my personal style “girly”. So, it is always fun to play with that too sweet aesthetic for V-Day. This year, I treated myself to a brand new OOTD for mine and Johnny’s Valentine’s Day date and I can’t wait to wear it! Today, let’s explore some options for all different kinds of styles to elevate you to the V-Day Best Dressed List too:

Sweet:

Whenever I think about Valentine’s Day, the first word that comes to mind is always “sweet” because it really is. You and your main squeeze are celebrating your love and each other and it’s a special occasion. Luckily, there is no shortage of ways that you can invoke sweetness into your OOTD. We’re talking soft, pastel shades. Silky, flowy fabrics. And, of course, dazzling and well placed accessories. Sweet outfits can benefit from one item in the OOTD being more form fitting and pairing it with something voluminous to balance it out. Cute kitten heels, tumbling curls, and makeup that enhances your natural beauty will complete the look for the ultimate in girly girl style.

Sexy:

In stark contrast to sweet vibes, let’s talk sexy. For Valentine’s Day, this means some va va VOOM baby! This is the opportunity to tap into a bad romance so leather and lace, anyone? Can you imagine a skin tight, black leather bodycon skirt paired with a deep red lace top? You will be turning everyone’s heads so don’t be afraid to show off! Choose pieces that hug every curve or accentuates a part of your body that your partner loves and let their eyes dance with accessories. For example, if you are primarily featuring your legs, a delicate anklet can push that pure sex appeal even further. Opt for smokey eyes, berry lips, and mile high stilettos to fly you into the oh so sexy stratosphere.

Sassy:

Sassy Valentine’s Day outfits are quirky and gives you free reign to play with patterns. How about a button down top with embroidered hearts? A cami with lipstick kisses? Even polka dots can transform your OOTD into something unique while still feeling classic to the Valentine’s Day standards. Sassy looks are adventurous and might not adhere to the usual silhouettes so experiment with how your clothing can create different shapes. A perfect example of this is cinching a cascading maxi dress with a belt to give your waist dimension. Screw the stilettos and go for chunky platforms, a bright lip, or try some funky eye makeup art to make your outfit pop even more!

No matter what you do for Valentine’s Day, put your best OOTD forward with these tips!

How would you describe your personal style? What is your favorite holiday to dress for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb5

If The Shoe Fits: A New Day Kitten Heels Edition

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If The Shoe Fits: A New Day Kitten Heels Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of If The Shoe Fits! During my last Target Run, I purchased an All New Everything OOTD for mine and Johnny’s Valentine’s Day date. Did I have any intention of this? Shockingly, no. However, Target made it all too easy to build the perfect V-Day look. I found my new top and bubble skirt on the same rack and the shoes you are about to see were directly across the aisle! Before we begin, I’d like to give myself a pat on the back for not buying new shoes since August of last year. This further solidified my need for a little treat lol! Check out the completed look:

As a petite princess, I am most fond of chunky platform heels to elevate my height. I absolutely love the way they look and I rock them frequently. I do have a very special place in my heart for kitten heels, though! Kitten heels offer a totally different vibe than my standard platforms. They are so sweet and dainty and always remind me of doll shoes. When I saw the top and skirt, I began putting the outfit together as I made my way to the fitting rooms. I planned on pairing the ensemble with a pair of kitten heels I already own, then these little beauties caught my eye across the way and that plan went out the window.

After having great success with the clothes, I literally thought to myself “what the hell” and tried the shoes on too lol. Just by looking at them, I knew that they would work so why not! I was so right because these kitten heels were made to be worn with the rest of my outfit. In fact, I couldn’t believe I almost passed them by. These heels are the perfect adorable something to compliment my new ensemble. First and foremost, the pointed toes look like hearts and it’s just so darn cute! As an extra bonus, these heels feature see through sides, which I don’t own anything like but always wanted to. These might not be shoes that I would wear with everything in my closet, but my skirts and dresses can now rejoice from new kitten heels to be paired with!

I am already unbelievably excited for a V-Day date with my main squeeze but even more so now that I have a gorgeous new OOTD to wear for the occasion!

What is your favorite style of shoes? What are you wearing for Valentine’s Day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb3

Target Run: A New Day Bubble Skirt

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Target Run: A New Day Bubble Skirt

Hello to you and welcome to Part Two of my Valentine’s Day OOTD Builder! To be perfectly honest, I feel like I am cheating on TJMaxx by buying an entire outfit from Target lol. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, it has been literal years since I purchased clothes from there. In fact, I dug through the archives of lifewithlilred to find an exact amount of time and the last thing I bought was a cardigan over three years ago. And, when you look at it like that, I suppose I was well overdue for a Target Run! Check out the rest of the base for my V-Day date night fit:

Target really did make it all too easy to create a one stop shop for a Valentine’s Day ensemble. Directly behind the lipstick print cami on the rack was this divine bubble skirt, which is also by A New Day. At this point, I threw my hands up and said “F it” lol. If I was already going to get the top, I might as well try on the skirt too! Actually, I clutched my pearls over this skirt because I have always wanted one in this style. Bubble skirts are so fantastically whimsical and gives me all of the anime vibes. They are just too sweet, provides eye catching movement, and looks so much more interesting than a standard skater, A-line, or bodycon skirt. As you all know, my MO when it comes to buying new clothes is to get pieces that I don’t own anything like already so this skirt was as good as mine.

This top and skirt were made for each other and if I was more familiar with the way clothes from Target fit, I wouldn’t have even tried them on. I was that confident that they would be perfect and my suspicions were proven spot on. Once both items were on in the fitting room, I was so enamored that I wanted to wear them out of the store. I felt like a star without wearing makeup and sporting major hat hair from the beanie I had on! The silhouette of the top tucked into the skirt was like nothing I had worn before and it was so interesting to see myself in a way that I wasn’t used to. The top fit close to my body and the skirt ballooned out like a blossoming flower. It made me feel like a ballerina and had me wishing that mine and Johnny’s date night was happening that very evening!

Keep it locked for a brand new edition of If The Shoe Fits to see my V-Day OOTD in all of its glory. All I can say is, I’m obsessed!

What is important to you about the clothes you buy? What are your Valentine’s Day plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb2

Target Run: A New Day Cami Top

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Target Run: A New Day Cami Top

Hello!! Johnny and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day by seeing our favorite musical, Hadestown, at EJ Thomas Hall in Akron. Saying we are beyond excited is an understatement!! I had no intention of buying a brand new outfit for the occasion – shocking I know. While my intentions were good, I did not hold up on them whatsoever lol. During a recent Target Run, the siren song of darling new clothes was too strong and I ended up purchasing a completed OOTD for our date night. This was actually really surprising to me because I fell out of clothes shopping at Target years ago as I was never impressed with their selection. My V-Day look has me thinking that maybe it wouldn’t hurt to do Target Runs more frequently! Check out Part One for my OOTD – a gorgeous cami top by A New Day:

While I was at Target, I wasn’t even looking at the clothes. I simply walked by the women’s department en route to what I needed to get and stopped short lol. As I strolled along, I locked in on this adorable cami and knew I had to try it on. I absolutely love silky and sweet tops like this for date nights. They are sexy without being too much and has so much potential to style multiple different looks with it. And, of course, Lil Red can’t say no to a print of bright red lipstick kisses! I am dead serious when I say that I was going to buy this top only and then style my outfit with clothes that I already have. Until I saw the perfect thing to pair it with on the same rack, which you will all see tomorrow!

But, I digress – let’s talk about styling options. 😀 With a top like this, you can pair it with just about anything and it’s going to look good as black is a neutral and there isn’t anything special about the way it fits. It isn’t too tight or overly flowy, making it ideal for tucking into skirts, wearing it underneath a blazer, or even with blue jeans and a cozy cardigan. Can you imagine this cami with sassy shorts and platform heels in the summer? Forget about it! Even though the print is traditional for Valentine’s Day, it is really something that can be worn any time of the year and that is so, totally sweet. ❤

My V-Day OOTD Builder is one third complete. Stay tuned for the remaining pieces and a killer OOTD post to show off the end result!

Do you like to shop for clothes at Target? What did you get on your last Target Run? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan28

New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD Bloopers

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New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD Bloopers

Helloooo to you and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD! After a refreshing day off to get my hair done a few Fridays ago, Johnny and I went on a fantastic Date Night. I was really excited because I left the salon, as always, feeling like a billion bucks and I couldn’t wait to show it off. With my hair and makeup already right, all I had to do was slip on the outfit I built in my head and hit the town. And, of course, absolutely SLAY in the following shots before dinner:

Cradling my future food baby:

This new hair sure tastes good!

In my defense, it was REALLY windy out and I was getting blown away mid foot pop!

About to spill ALL the latest tea!!

Remember when I said it was REALLY windy out?

I’M SEXY!!!!

Simultaneously giving “aw shucks” and “whoopsy daisy” vibes

This past week was an incredibly busy one from start to finish. For the first time in a long time on Thursday, I ended up working a sixteen hour day and had to drive home in total white out conditions. As much as I would have loved to take a me day on Friday, the grind don’t stop! By the time my shift ended, I hit a complete wall but, you heard it here first: the grind don’t stop lol. Friday evening was my annual Christmas celebration with my bestie, Lea, and I had to rally. I cooked Cajun pasta for our dinner and it truly was an eat, drink, and be merry hang out. I cannot wait to show all of you my gift from her – it’s perfect!!

Once the festivities ended, I lingered around for a bit to hang out with Johnny and hit the bricks. Then, I woke up feeling like I got hit by a ton of bricks. Lol, I was so unbelievably tired and achy and no matter how much water I drank, I still felt thirsty. I was honestly worried I had Covid or was coming down with some kind of bug, but Johnny was feeling A-okay. As the morning continued, I literally had to go lay down and take a nap and I never, EVER take naps. That was what really made me worried as far as being sick goes because the only time I take naps is when I’m seriously under the weather.

When Johnny came up to check on me, I asked him for the millionth time if he was feeling okay. He was still right as rain and then broke down the activities of my last few days for me… I worked sixteen hours Thursday and had a longer day than intended on Friday because Lea came over later in the evening. He chalked the fatigue and soreness up to being tired and I am pleased to report that he was right on the money. After getting a ton of sleep and plenty of lounge time, I am writing this on Monday morning feeling *almost* as good as new. I say almost because a few extra hours of sleep instead of getting up at three AM wouldn’t hurt! 😀

In conclusion, the grind don’t stop lifestyle caught up to me so let this be a cautionary tale to take some time to recover after a long day. It will come around to bite you if you don’t!

Is your job tiring? How do you relax after a day at work? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan26

New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD

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New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Friday was an especially fabulous one because I got my hair done and went on a super fun Date Night with my main squeeze. Whenever Johnny and I step out for a night out, it calls for a killer OOTD because it’s a special occasion. And, as my color sat at the salon, I built one in my head so I could get dressed as soon as I got home and we could make our way to The Workz. I’m so glad I did because we were absolutely famished! Peep that new hair and let’s discuss:

Who? What? Wear?

Emerald Green Trench Coat: Nine West, Blu Boutique

Lace Top: Red By BKE, Buckle

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Platform Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx

Heart Earrings: SugarFix By BaubleBar, Target

Purse: Anne Klein, TJMaxx

As I pondered my date night look at the salon, I decided that All Black Everything for the base of the outfit was the move. My hair was going to be plenty colorful enough and I wanted it to shine against a neutral palette. So, I went through my mental Rolodex of every black piece of clothing I own (There’s a ton, I’m an elder emo – remember?!) and locked in on the gorgeous lace top from Buckle. We were so in business because talk about a date night top! This little number is so sexy but still uber chic and I love the way I feel in it. Aside from my crop tops, this is actually one of the most form fittings tops I have and I like how it hugs my curves without feeling too constricting.

Next on the agenda was jeans and I went for my coated pair of black skinnies by Seven that features a snakeskin pattern. Why did this work with the lace top? If you are styling an outfit with only one color, you have permission to go crazy with mixing textures and patterns! Regardless of the lace or the sheen and pattern of the jeans, they still blended seamlessly together and created an ensemble that makes the eyes dance.

With the base of the outfit sorted, it was time for all of the extras. For shoes, I chose one of my go to pairs of platform boots by Olivia Miller. And as I was pulling from the same palette, the suede texture only enhanced the OOTD rather than looking out of place. The outfit was not yet complete, though, because it was cold AF! Since I added some extra height with the boots, I slipped on one of my favorite, mid calf length trench coats by Nine West. The beauty of an all one color outfit is that your pop of colors are REALLY going to pop. The bold emerald green looked so luxe against the base of the outfit and the sheen of the coat closely mimicked the jeans, creating even more cohesion.

Finally, the finishing touches. For earrings, I put on a pair of dangly, three tiered red hearts for some movement and another surprise color addition. These helped draw further attention to my new do, which I couldn’t wait to show off. And, last but not least, I slung my beautiful Anne Klein bag over the crook of my arm and was ready to hit the town with my honey!

Stay tuned for the Blooper Reel of my New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD where “wind in the hair” takes on a whole new meaning. See you then!

What is your favorite jewel tone color? What is your favorite color to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan24

Hair Day!

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Hair Day!

Howdy!! This past weekend, I enjoyed a fabulous trip to the Shear Shop to get my hair right. It was a most exciting visit because my beloved stylist, Anna, became the new owner of the salon! I was ecstatic when I saw the breaking news on Facebook and was so eager to be able to congratulate her in real life. Anna has been doing my hair for over two decades now and we are incredibly close. I am so proud of her for this next step in her journey and all of the hard work she has put in for the greater good of the salon and staff. She is simply the best. ❤

This time around, we were going to do a slight variation to the color palette we established at my last appointment. We were originally using a combination of Pulp Riot’s Nightfall, Eloped, Vintage Vegas, and Pyro. While the soft peachy shade of Eloped was pretty, it didn’t do anything for me as it started to fade. So, our plan was to brighten things up. We kept with Nightfall and Pyro, but used a mixture of neon orange Lava and Eloped for a more pronounced pop:

With our game plan prepped, it was time to bleach! Using darker colors has been great for the health of my hair because the bleach only needs to sit for twenty minutes. When I go light for the summer, it’s a totally different story lol. After the bleach has been washed out, Anna and I always find ourselves not hating the results. In fact, we were obsessed this time and it gave us mermaid vibes that we will be using as inspiration for sweet summertime. Check it out:

Despite loving what the bleach did, winter is here to stay and Anna began to paint my hair with my cold weather hues. We have had a lot of trial and error when it comes to color placement and Anna has truly perfected her method. Sometimes, the colors can get muddy when we are trying to do several different placements with multiple colors. During my last appointment, she wanted to try a more simple approach: Paint my roots, do one color for the top layer, and one color for the bottom layer. It worked like a charm and she employed the same method as it yielded excellent results. And made me look like a bird of paradise:

After my Pulp Riot concoction sat for fifty minutes, it was time for a wash, a cut, and the grand reveal. Thanks to Anna’s ingenious technique, we were able to fully see each color for what it was. A bold, deep red at the roots, vibrant orange, and a midnight sky navy blue. Whenever I go to the Shear Shop, I always leave feeling like a billion bucks. This time, though, I felt like a billion AND then some!

I cannot wait for all of you to see my new do so stay tuned for a brand new OOTD to show it off coming soon!

Where do you go to get your hair done? How long has your stylist been doing your hair? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan6

Hand Me Down OOTD Bloopers

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Hand Me Down OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Hand Me Down OOTD! It’s safe to say that Johnny and I have an eclectic personal style and because of this, it feels like we are constantly getting hand me downs from our friends and family. It’s pretty cool because what we receive is almost always vintage and we are so about it. The last hand me down haul was from our best friend, Cliff, as he was clearing out some of his grandpa’s old clothes. Other than the sweater featured in this OOTD, nothing really caught my eye and, sadly, wearing said sweater was short lived. Take a look at some yikes shots and let’s discuss:

About to speak my truth (usually along the lines of “I’m hungry”)

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The standing in snow shuffle

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TFYM when someone you can’t stand is talking

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I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Showing off the ol’ beaver teeth

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TFYM when you were right all along!

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Ta da!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Ever since I was little, I always loved going shopping with my mom. And, ever since I was little, I can remember her looking at the tags of clothing we liked to make sure it was not made with wool. It could be the cutest thing in the world, but she would claim that it would be “too itchy” and that was the end of that. It makes sense that I have always associated wool with being itchy or maybe just maybe wool truly is the itchiest fabric of all time. I am going that route because…

The sweater seen above was The. Itchiest. F’ing. Sweater. EVER. Prior to putting it on, I didn’t do a material check and I was in misery the entire time I had it on. It was itchy, scratchy, and my skin literally felt like it was crawling. As soon as we were done taking pictures, I RAN to get changed and was not surprised to find that the sweater was made from half wool and half alpaca. It really is too bad because I loved the way this sweater looked but despised the way it felt, making it an instant no go. Regardless, it was still neat to wear a hand me down from Cliff’s grandpa for five or so minutes! 😀

In conclusion, no wool for me and this sweater will eventually find its way to triple hand me down status. I would call it “the one that got away” if it weren’t so damn uncomfortable!!

Is there a material or texture that you can’t stand? What is your favorite clothing material? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan5

Hand Me Down OOTD

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Hand Me Down OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred. Today, we are going to take a look at a look I put together with a Hand Me Down sweater from our best friend, Cliff. Technically, it’s a double hand me down because said featured sweater belonged to Cliff’s grandpa! Johnny came home with a ton of clothes that Cliff was clearing out the last time they were together and nothing really caught my eye except for this spiffy little number. You can read why this will be the first and last time I wear this sweater in the Blooper Reel tomorrow, but let’s get to it:

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Who? What? Wear?

Striped Sweater: Designed by Arnold Palmer for Robert Bruce

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Snakeskin Patterned Kitten Heels: Splendid, TJMaxx

The earrings were purchased forever ago from PacSun!

I have been telling Johnny for forever that he would look So. Good. in sweaters like this Robert Bruce one. When he brought it home, I liked it for me but LOVED it for him. Unfortunately, he saw things differently than me and claimed that the sweater was “too small anyways” so never mind lol. After he discarded the notion, I tried it on for myself and, aside from one glaring issue, was all about it. And, rather than wearing it over top of something like a cardigan, I decided to button it up as a top since the V-neck wasn’t plunging. From the cut to the colors, this is truly a “grandpa chic” piece and I just know Cliff’s grandad was styling in it. ❤

Since black skinnies were the way to go, it was time for shoes and accessories. To keep with the vintage vibes, I chose one of my favorite pairs of stud earrings from PacSun. The gold frame and red roses in the center remind me of brooches and tend to be my go tos when I am building an outfit with vintage clothing. For shoes, I selected a gorgeous pair of snakeskin patterned kitten heels by Splendid. Despite the pointed toe, they made me think of loafers and that was perfect for the elderly aesthetic I was working with lol. The colors in the pattern of the shoes and the sweater blended beautifully together and I felt like all I was missing was a cup of tea to complete the look!

As cute as this sweater might be (I really do love it!), it has since been retired from my wardrobe. Whoever ends up with it will have a triple hand me down!!

Do you like to wear vintage clothing? Where do you purchase yours at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec29

It’s In The Bag: Anne Klein Edition

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It’s In The Bag: Anne Klein Edition

Hello to you and welcome to a brand new edition of It’s In The Bag! Today, we are going to take a look at the piece de resistance from my mother and father-in-law for Christmas – a gorgeous new bag by Anne Klein! Johnny’s mom managed to get me SO many things that I was planning on buying for myself and she read my mind with this purse. After restocking my skin care with TJMaxx gift cards, I thought it would be nice to use the remainder on a new bag! So, maybe shoes instead?! Take a look:

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When I opened my new Anne Klein purse, I literally clutched my pearls. It’s just so beautiful and I am in love with the dusty rose hue. Dusty rose looks absolutely stunning on my mom and sister, but it washes me out badly. So, it is a color that I don’t have any of in my wardrobe, accessories included. Until now, that is! The shape and color of this bag are the epitome of chic to me and I cannot wait to empty my old bag out so I can have this pretty little thing draped from my arm, instead.

Speaking of my old bag, it has not been it for a while and I have just been too lazy to change it out lol. It has several different compartments on the inside and you have no idea how many times I find myself per day digging through it like a racoon trying to find my chapstick. What is also especially pleasing to me about my new purse is that there are, blessedly, no compartments for all of my odds and ends to get lost in. It might not be as spacious as my old bag, but I’m using that as motivation to stop putting Every. Receipt. Ever. in it and not throwing them out! 😀

This purse is, hands down, one of my favorite gifts from Christmas. I am so excited to be a woman on the go with my new bag in tow!!

Which colors look great on you? How about not so flattering? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah